


Not Acting Around You

by LapisLazuli13



Series: AUs and Ideas That I Like [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Acting, Amazon Warrior(s), Awesome Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Bromance, Elves, Everyone is a dork, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Friendship, Humour, Hunters, M/M, Vampires, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-02-04 06:43:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12765330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapisLazuli13/pseuds/LapisLazuli13
Summary: A bromance story in which Jason is a new actor, Nico is a child prodigy in acting, Will is learning how to be a director, Percy is a famous script-writer and Jason meets them the first time in an audition for a fantasy TV series.





	1. The Audition

…

Jason was nervous.

Of course, everyone could be nervous when they’re just an amateur actor and they’re attending for a big audition. Maybe the biggest audition ever in five years: The production companies were looking for potential people that can take part in their next fantasy TV series: **_Walking in Your Dreams_**.

“Number 132, Jason Grace. Actor.”

Shit. Jason cursed under his breath. It’s time to shine or to waste his time for another failure. He took a deep breath and told himself that everything will be fine.

…

He was asked to reenact a short scene in a given script with another actor.

“He’ll be here in 5 minutes.” A judge told him. “You’re lucky to have him as your partner. He’s a child prodigy.”

When Jason was reading his lines, his partner showed up from the exit door of the room. “I’m really sorry! My car broke down and Jules-Albert…”

“It’s okay, sweetie. We’re glad that we can invite you.” A staff welcomed him. “This is Jason Grace, your partner. Grace, this is Nico di Angelo, the person who reenact that scene with you today. Do your best. Good luck!”

Jason stared at the raven-haired boy in disbelief. He didn’t know this was lucky or unfortunate to have Nico di Angelo as his partner.

“Hello. I’m Nico di Angelo, an actor. Nice to meet you.” Nico extended one of his hand toward Jason.

The blond awkwardly took the other’s hand and shook it. “I’m Jason Grace. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Nico’s hand was slightly colder than normal people, but his skin was soft and comfortable. They had a firm handshake before Nico gestured at the script on his hand. “May I have a look?”

“Ah, sure.” Jason gave the first page to him. “I’ll be Jerome, and you’re Lucas.”

“Okay.” Nico nodded before looking at his lines. Jason can’t help but notice how Nico’s voice was so mellifluous even when he said just one word.

Jason was slightly distracted by the fact that he just talked with Nico di Angelo. Does anyone in film industry not know him? Nobody. He was a child prodigy and he’s very famous because of his natural talent as an actor. He made the first appearance in a short movie when he was three years old. His career as an actor was greater than anyone at his age.

Jason just simply can’t believe his luck. He still read and tried to memorize the lines, but sometimes he caught himself made quick glances at the other boy. Newspapers and interviews didn’t exaggerate about Nico’s beauty. The boy had such delicate features: porcelain skin, slightly long black hair, dark and sharp eyes, elegant eyelashes, high cheekbones, a straight nose and curved lips. He was dressed in a simple white button-up shirt and dark jeans, with combat boots and an aviator jacket. His body frame was smaller than Jason’s, and his boyish features made him look younger than his age: he was looked like a 13 years old boy rather than 16.

“Alright, I’m done.” Nico suddenly said when he returned the paper to Jason. “Do I have any line on the other part?”

“Hmm… not really, just two lines.” Jason pointed out to him. “Here and there.”

“I see. Thank you.” Nico smiled. “I’m ready. How about you?”

“You have remembered all your lines already?” Jason widened his eyes.

“Sure. I even memorize yours, too. In case you forget.” Nico winked.

“It’s about thirty sentences and you just need 10 minutes?!” Jason can’t believe whatever thing was happening. “I think it’s impossible!”

“Not for me.” Nico shrugged. “I used to memorize longer script than that. It’s a simple one. But you’re a new actor, aren’t you? I understand so you don’t need to hurry up. Relax and take your time.”

“… I’m okay.” Jason blinked. “I can start now.”

“Good. Don’t be too nervous, okay? Take a deep breath and try to be natural. You’ll be fine.” Nico smiled at the blond again.

“Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

…

Jason’s audition wasn’t bad. It wasn’t very great either, but he believed that he had done a decent job. He did forget a line and replace it with whichever thought that appeared in his mind at this moment, but thankfully Nico played along with him so well. The judges nodded and clapped their hands together when they finished.

“You did well.” Nico told him when they came out of the room for a short break. “They’ll choose you, believe me.”

“If you say so.” Jason smiled. “Can I buy you a coffee? As a thank-you gift for helping me if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. Black coffee without ice or sugar, just some milk, please.”

They walked together to the cafeteria outside the building. When Jason was paying for their coffee, a voice lifted up behind their backs.

“Nico! What are you doing here?”

“Percy. Long time no see.” Nico smiled when the black-haired boy hugged him.

Jason blinked at the sudden encounter. Percy…? The name rang a bell, but Jason didn’t remember it right now.

“I’m attending the audition for the script-writer position.” Percy grinned. “How about you? Main character or lead character? And who is this man?” He nodded at Jason.

“Haven’t decided it yet.” Nico laughed. “And this is Jason Grace, my partner in the audition. He is a new actor, but he did a quite good job. I think he’ll be chosen to be a lead character.”

“Hi! Nice to meet you, Jason. I’m Percy Jackson, a script-writer.” The green-eyed boy exclaimed when he gave Jason a quick handshake.

“I’m Jason Grace. Nice to meet you too.”

Now the blond remembered why the name was so familiar. Percy Jackson, a young and talented script-writer, the one who did wonderful work for at least three billion-dollar movies, two TV series, and four reality shows. Rumour had that he and Nico were good friends, and it seemed that rumour has become true.

“Your coffee.” Jason gave Nico a paper cup. The smaller boy nodded.

“Thanks. Hey Percy, are you done with your audition?”

“It’s simple. I just need to write a full scene for a given idea. Only took me half of an hour to finish.” Percy winked. “I’m done. Wanna go somewhere? Will want to see you, too. He’s inside for his own audition.”

“Sorry, I can’t.” Nico looked so apologetic. “Maybe next time. I still need to be the partner with at least twelve attendees.”

“Oh, so they invited you here, didn’t they?” Percy smiled. “It’s okay. We’ll meet at a party when they call us to inform that we’ll be co-workers in this series. I can’t wait for that.”

“You’re so optimistic.”

“And you always underestimate your talent.” Percy ruffled Nico’s soft hair before turned his head to Jason. “Nice to meet you, Grace. Hope that I can see you again. Better in this series.”

“Thank you.” Jason nodded. Percy greeted them before he left.

“He’s such a dork.” Nico giggled when they walked back to the building. “But a talented one, after all.”

“Who’s Will? Jackson mentioned him before.” Jason questioned. Another famous friend of Nico?

“Ah, Will Solace, my and Percy’s mutual friend. He is a blond like you, Grace. But he’s not an actor because he’s so passionate about directing. He wants to be one of the directors of this TV series.” Nico answered him. “And he will be. He is a talented one in this field.”

“You and your friends are talented people.” Jason smiled.

“Wow, thank you.” Nico’s cheeks had the faintest hint of blush. “But don’t let those dorks hear you say that. They’ll make you repeat it to them every day.”

“I won’t.” Jason laughed. He didn’t even think he can meet them again, or get to know any of them. He was an amateur actor and they’re already famous, after all.

…

“Why do you bring my doppelgänger in here, Nico di Angelo?” A voice raised behind their backs almost made Jason jump up. Nico’s friends had such a strange habit to appear from nowhere.

“Will!” Nico shouted and happily returned the blond’s embrace. “I miss you! We haven’t had any chance to meet through this summer!”

“I know. It’s two months since the last time I saw you. You’re still so adorable, Neeks.” Will pinched the raven-haired boy. “And who is this blond? Hey, he even has the same blue eyes as me!”

“I’m Jason Grace, nice to meet you.” Jason introduced himself. “You’re Will Solace, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you!” Will exclaimed when shook his hand.

“Your eyes are not the same. You have sky blue eyes, while Grace has quite electric blue ones. And your hair is curlier than him Will, with the color of sun-kissed yellow. Grace’s hair color is more like golden.” Nico commented.

“You’re not fun.” Will sighed. “Why don’t you say that we have different facial features already?”

“That’s too obvious. Grace is more handsome than you.” Nico giggled.

Jason blushed when Will faked an angry expression. “I can’t believe you did this to me! It hurts!”

“Good for you. You shouldn’t turn into a narcissistic person like Percy.”

“I’ll tell him that.” Will raised an eyebrow.

“Do as you wish.” Nico smiled. “How was your audition?”

“I was as wonderful as ever.” Will laughed. Nico stared at him.

“I think I didn’t need to warn you about your narcissism. It’s too late, you’re already as bad as Percy.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Will chuckled. “And how about you, new friend? You attended for which position? Mine is director one.”

“Actor, because I don’t have the vaguest idea about directing or script-writing.” Jason smiled. “I was paired with Nico in a scene. He’s a great actor.”

“So are you.” Nico hissed. “I just have more experience, that’s all.”

“Don’t listen to him.” Will winked at Jason. “That kid is called child prodigy for solid reasons. And he always underestimates his talents.”

“Jackson did say that.” Jason remembered.

“So you have met Percy already?” Will clapped his hands together. “It’s good. Now we know each other. Just wait until the celebration party about us being chosen as co-workers for this big project.”

“You sound like Percy.” Jason commented. Will just laughed.

“I guess I spent too many days with him this summer when Nico was too busy with his own work. Well, he’s fun.” Will checked his phone. “I gotta go. Something’s coming up. See ya!”

“See you later.” Nico nodded.

“Nice to meet you, Solace.” Jason said to him before the other blond left.

**…**

**..**

**.**

One week later, Jason got a call. He was chosen to a supporting role for the TV series “Walking in your dreams”. The staff told him that they’ll have a small party for everyone to have a formal chance to introduce and meet each other. It’s on Sunday, and he’ll receive the address as soon as possible.

Now Jason felt like he was really walking in a dream.

…

_**End chapter 1.** _


	2. The Formal Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason formally met Nico, Percy and Will at the celebration party.

##  _**Chapter 2: The formal meeting.** _

…

The party was luxurious, at least in Jason’s opinion.

It was held at a big five-star hotel, with various types of people attended. Jason felt very lucky when he spotted Nico just ten minutes after walking into the room. He didn’t know anyone else here.

“Nico!” Jason called. “I’m standing over there! May I join your company?”

“Sure. Come here.” The raven-haired boy smiled and gestured to Jason to come to his place.

“It’s nice to see you again.” Nico told him when they’re at the sweet tables. “You have been chosen for which role?”

“A supporting one. Jerome, I guess.” Jason cocked his head when Nico picked up a chocolate tiramisu. “How about you?”

“Lucas, your fantasy company.” Nico laughed. “Lucas is the protagonist, and he is a Vampire-elf. It’s a quite strange combination of races, but I’m excited about this. He could be a very strong and unique character.”

“Jerome is a hunter. I wonder why they’re friends with each other in the first place.” Jason laughed. “This is a big project, isn’t it? I can’t wait to the day we start filming.”

“So do I.” A voice suddenly joined the conversation. “I’ll make your life become very interesting, Jerome.”

“Percy!” Nico giggled. “Don’t be so mean to him. He is the new one.”

“Said the person who always says that I’m narcissistic.” Percy snorted.

“Because you are.” Nico smirked. “Wanna try this? It’s delicious.”

“No, I’m fine with blueberry cake.” Percy picked up a blue piece of cake, with white sweet cream filled inside it.

“Your habit doesn’t change.” Nico pointed out. “Grace? Why don’t you try something? The food in here is always tasty.”

“Sure. What’s your suggestion?”

“This.” Nico gave him a red velvet cake. “Ah, now we’ll work together for months, or even years. Should I start to call you by your first name?”

“Sure. Just call me Jason. Can I call you Nico?”

“Fine with me. And here is Percy. His full name is Perseus Jackson, but he doesn’t want anyone to call him that.”

“That sounds way too formal.” Percy said. “By the way, anyone has seen Will? I’m sure that he was chosen too. But I didn’t see him here.”

“He might be late. He had a conference this morning in another city.” Nico informed them.

“Still keeping in touch with each other so good, I see.” Percy chuckled. “I envy your bromance, Neeks.”

“You have no right to say it.” Nico shrugged. “And you can always find another one to start a new bromance relationship. I’m fine with it.”

“I found him. It’s Jason Grace here. Are you okay with it, Jason?” Percy winked.

“Me?” Jason was surprised when he was mentioned in the conversation. “Bromance? I think it’s alright.”

“Good. I love you bro.” Percy hugged him.

Nico laughed at Jason’s awkward expression. “Percy is a little bit touchy. I have learned to deal with it. You should know anyway.”

“I’m okay with touching though.” Jason returned the hug.

“Then how about some kisses?” Percy teased when he released the blond.

“I think this is a whole new level of bromance.” Jason raised an eyebrow at the script-writer.

“I love kissing.” The black-haired boy explained. “It feels good.”

“Why don’t you become an actor instead of a script-writer?” Nico stared at him. “For romantic movies. You can kiss whoever you want if they’re your partners.”

“I’m more into writing stuff.” Percy winked. “And it’s not that everybody is a genius in acting like you, Neeks.”

“I’m not.” Nico pouted. Jason can’t help but notice how cute he was. How could this little cinnamon roll play an antagonist in his latest movie so well? Roland was a very cruel character and everyone claimed that he didn’t have a heart. Nico was the opposite of this kind of personality.

“You are. Hey Jason, do you know that Nico can write scripts too? And he’s multilingual. I promise that if we have a chance to work together, I’ll let him develop his character on his own.”

“So I can write my own plots for Lucas?” Nico gasped.

“Don’t leave the main ideas out, but yes, you can write the details by the way you want.” Percy smirked. “I’m in charge of plots developed. You’re welcome to join whenever you feel like it.”

“Thanks, Percy. I’ll keep that in mind.” Nico cheerfully nodded. “Anyone wants a drink?”

“Sure. This way.” Percy led them to the bar table.

…

Half of an hour later, Will came to the party and joined them.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Will told the others. “My flight was delayed due to bad weather. Almost couldn’t make it.”

“How was the conference?” Nico asked.

“Good.” Will nodded. “But I’m hungry. Just overslept on the plane and haven’t eaten anything. Give me a suggestion?”

“They have beef-steak.” Jason pointed in a direction. “Though I have no idea how does it taste like. I only ate a piece of cake.”

“I’m not worried about the quality of food in that hotel.” Will smiled. “Thanks. Gotta go to feed my stomach. Be right back in fifteen minutes. Wait for me.”

“I’ll be drunk before you finish your meal!” Percy laughed. “Bon appetit.”

Will just waved his hand as a reply to Percy.

…

“That was the best lasagna I have ever eaten.” Will told them when twenty minutes later he rejoined the little group.

“You late. For 5 minutes.” Percy accused him.

“Can’t blame my stomach or my mouth. The food was way too delicious.” Will shrugged.

“Here you are.” Jason gave him a classic martini. “Nico said that you always choose this drink.”

“Wow, thanks. You remember my favorite?” Will turned his head to Nico and chuckled. “That makes my heart feel so warm, Neeks.”

“Aren’t you too young to drink alcohol?” Jason’s voice was full of concern when he saw Nico took the third cup of champagne. So he was confused when Percy and Will laughed so hard.

“Did I say something wrong?” He asked. Nico just sighed and made a gesture which clearly meant _ignore them_.

“Nico is half-Italian. Italians can hold their drinks better than the rest of us Americans. Don’t include the Germans, of course.” Will winked at Jason. “Don’t worry about him. He can beat both of us in a drinking game. But you’re right, he’s still too young so we never let him have too much alcohol.”

“Which type of directing position do you participate?” Nico questioned Will. “As I remember, there are some different roles of directors.”

“Executive team. Major in visual effects, but I can join the picture directors too. My father takes part in this series as well. As a shadow director, because he doesn’t want to be at the film studio all the time.” Will made a face. “It’s better than him being an executive one. I don’t really enjoy the idea working with him for a whole series. Ugh.”

“His father is Apollo, a famous director and movie critic.” Percy informed Jason. “I’m so lucky that my stepfather is just a teacher, and my real father doesn’t pay much attention to my career.”

The script-writer finished his story with a shrug. Will just smiled, but he didn’t look really happy at this moment.

“My father is a businessman.” Jason took another drink. It was _Elixir of love_ , a cocktail that he hasn’t tasted before. “I can tell that he doesn’t really appreciate my choice of job, but he chose not to forbid me since I can live on my own and don’t bother him.”

“My father is a lawyer.” Nico sighed when he put his empty glass on the bar table. “A very talented and strict one, if you ask me. He hoped that I could choose his path, but my stepmother and my sister discovered my abilities to act since I was very young. I guess that he didn’t really have his own choice when I became famous too soon.”

“I’m glad that he didn’t stop you.” Percy grinned. “You’re really a child prodigy. I can’t count how many people did say that to you, but it is never superfluous.”

“You just don’t know how pressuring is it when you’re a famous child.” Nico massaged his temples. “People have great expectations of you. You have to live a perfect life and never let them down. Or they’ll crush you into ashes.”

“… You’re doing well.” Jason hesitated when he didn’t know should he say it or not. “You’re a good figure to almost every kid and even adults. You’re talented, hard-working, charming, and warm-hearted. How more could people ask for?”

“Thank you.” Nico faintly smiled. “You sound like my managers, my co-workers, my assistants, my fans and their parents. As I said, I need to live a perfect life for them even though I’m not perfect. Nobody is perfect.”

“It’s a party. No room for such a gloomy mood.” Percy suddenly ruffled Nico’s fluffy hair. “Don’t think about it anymore, Nico. Just be yourself and enjoy this moment.”

Will gave Jason a look, and he understood that he just made a mistake. He will never say such things again to Nico. This kid had enough pressure on his life.

…

They talked about some unimportant pieces of stuff until a middle-aged man saw Nico and walked toward him with a wide smile on his face.

“I was looking for you the whole night, Nico di Angelo.”

“Here we come.” Nico mumbled and sighed. Then the next second, he made a perfect smile. “Nice to see you, Mr. Coleman.”

“You still remember me?” The man was surprised. “Such a good memory. I have admired you and your talents for a long time, di Angelo. It’s a pleasure to have you as one of my partners in this big project. May I have some words?”

“Sure.” Nico nodded.

“David Coleman is the owner of one of the three biggest production companies, and the main sponsor of this TV series.” Will whispered to Jason and Percy.

“I won’t beat around the bush. Could I set the rating of this series above PG-15, MA-16 maybe?” David told Nico. “I know you’re the protagonist and you’re over 16 years old, but you have never agreed to any projects that involve sexual scenes. Will you change your mind this time?”

Nico just stared at the man when the other boys gasped. What did he just ask for?!

“No.” After three minutes, Nico shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t. I don’t want to have any sex scenes. If you disagree with my decision, please remove me out of this project. I’m really sorry.”

David looked so disappointed, but the other three boys sighed with relief.

“No, I won’t.” He quickly said. “You’re too important. Everybody agrees that no one except you can play the Lucas character. And I understand your choice, even though I must say that I’m quite disappointed.”

“I’m sorry.” Nico repeated. Mr. Coleman just smiled.

“Alright, no 16+ stuff. But some half-naked scenes are okay with you, aren’t they? Only the upper torso, I promise. I know you do work-out. Just to satisfy your fans a little, okay?”

“… I will think about it.” Nico sighed.

David’s face brightened up immediately. “Great! I’m looking forward to knowing your decision, Nico! And this is Jason Grace, our deuteragonist, isn’t he?” David winked at the blond.

“I don’t know. I have a supporting role, I don’t think…” Jason stuttered.

“Oh, Jerome is a very important character too, as I could tell – he and Lucas have so many scenes together and the plots are quite interesting. I know you’re a new actor, but I see potential in you. Hope that we’ll have a great time working together, Mr. Grace.” The man offered a handshake with Jason.

“Thank you.” Jason took his hand. “I’ll try my best.”

“I have both our creative script-writer Jackson and our aesthetic movie director Solace here.” David chuckled. “This project will be the biggest success of my life.”

“Hope so.” Will nodded at him with a _too-courteous-to-be-real_ smile.

“See you guys later. Have a fun night, boys.” Mr. Coleman waved his hand when he left the group.

“We’ll have a lot of fun working together. Without him.” Percy hissed.

Will nodded in agreement. Nico just sighed. It’s too obvious that none of them liked the man.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jason asked. “I understand that you don’t like the part when he asked Nico about having some over 16 scenes, but he is the biggest sponsor of this series, after all.”

“What’s wrong with _David-F**king-Coleman_?” Percy pursed his lips. “He is a greedy man, and everybody knows that. Rumor even has that he has such sickening obsessions with young and beautiful boys. You didn’t see the way his eyes travel up and down Nico’s body, did you?”

“That’s so disgusting! Nico is still a teenager!” Jason’s eyes widened with antipathy.

“You don’t say.” Will rolled his eyes. “Anyway, forget that bastard at this moment. Don’t let him ruin our night. And Nico, whatever things he offers, you must not agree. Remember?”

“I know. I have a brain too.” Nico snorted. Percy laughed.

“That’s the spirit. Hey, let’s go and have some fun. I know a great place nearby. I don’t want to breathe in this atmosphere anymore. It’s tainted.”

“You lead the way.” Jason and Will nodded and the four of them get out of the hotel.

…

They had a very fun karaoke night after that. At the end of the day – actually, it’s around 3 A.M so it could also be the beginning of the other day – they exchanged their phone numbers and agreed to have at least one meeting per week, not include the working days in film studios.

…

**_End chapter 2._ **


	3. The first filming day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day they work together.

##  _**Chapter 3: The first filming day.** _

…

The TV series started filming on the day after the party.

It was a nice Monday. The weather forecast said that it’ll be rainy, but actually it was just a little bit cloudy. Which was perfect for some outside scenes. To be more specific…

“We’re going to film the first scenes in the forest?” Jason stared at the main director. “Why not the park? It has trees and the forest atmosphere, too.”

“But it’s not real.” The director calmly said. “I want everything as real as possible. You have 10 minutes to prepare. Don’t forget the anti-insects cream. You’ll need it. The forest we’ll go to has a lot of mosquitos and other bugs.”

Jason didn’t know how to react. He usually worked in the film studio, not outside. Especially the forest. Like, a real forest.

“Director Milton is always a little bit exaggerative.” Will Solace appeared with a small camera in his hand. He smiled at the blond. “Just deal with it.”

“I guess I have to. It’s a long-time work, after all.” Jason sighed when he applied a thin layer of sunscreen plus anti-insect chemical on his skin.

“Have you met the main actress?” Nico appeared from nowhere when he asked Jason. “She’s so beautiful. I hear that she’s supposed to be your girlfriend.”

“I haven’t. How can we become a couple when I don’t know her?” Jason questioned.

“No, not in real life, my God.” Nico laughed. “In the scripts. Her character’s name is Camilla.”

“Oh.” Jason blushed a little bit. “I understand. What’s the actress’s real name?”

“Piper McLean.” Nico blinked. “Do you know her?”

“Isn’t she Tristan McLean’s daughter?” Jason widened his eyes. “Of course I know her! Nobody doesn’t know her and her dad! He’s my childhood’s idol!”

“Tristan McLean is a gentleman.” Nico smiled. “But don’t mention him in front of Piper. She doesn’t want people to think that she’s living in his shadow.”

“I see. Thank you for warning me.” Jason smiled.

“You’re welcome.” Nico smiled back.

At this time, a staff came into the room and said that they’ll move in 2 minutes.

…

The forest was quite… scary, in Jason’s perspective.

Sure, it was a real forest, with hundred years old trees, a lot of bushes, and even wild animals. Jason saw at least ten hares and three porcupines, with two stray cats and an uncountable number of birds.

They had one hour to do the makeup and change costumes, while the staffs setting up the backgrounds.

“Do Lucas and Jerome really meet in the forest?” Jason questioned the script-writer. “To be more specific, inside a bear’s trap? Jerome is a hunter and Lucas is a vampire. What kind of plot twist is it?”

“They do.” Percy nodded. He was holding a stack of papers. “That’s my drafts for ideas. This idea was the most interesting, so I chose it.” He winked at the blond. “And who says that hunter cannot be trapped?”

“Actually I’m not being trapped.” Nico blinked when he read the script. “I want to free the bear, but Jerome doesn’t let me do it when he jumps down the hole. We have an argument. And it ends up in us becoming friends. Without Lucas knows that Jerome is a hunter and Jerome doesn’t know Lucas isn’t a human either.”

“What a strange way to start a friendship.” Jason let out a chuckle. “I agree. This is interesting.”

“Nico!” A staff shouted. “It’s your turn to change costumes!”

“I gotta go.” Nico smiled at his friends.

…

When they’re watching the bear trap being set and getting to know the bear  _(a fake one – they replaced it by a puppy)_ , a girl approached Jason.

“Hi.” She smiled and extended her arm, waiting for a handshake. “I’m Piper McLean, as Camilla Diaz. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Jason Grace. Jerome Hawkins in this TV series.” Jason took her hand and smiled back. “Nice to meet you too. Which scenes do you need to appear today?”

“Actually I don’t have any scene today, but I wanna meet my co-workers so I came here.” She explained to him. “The rumors are true. Nico is really beautiful and you’re so handsome. And I always love these shows that have Percy writes their scripts. It’s a pleasure to work with you guys.”

“Me too. It’s nice to know and work with such a beautiful lady like you.” Percy grinned. “Camilla is one of my favorite characters. She is such a badass girl.”

“What is her race, exactly?” Piper asked. “I heard that she might be a witch, but I’m not sure.”

“She is a witch.” Percy nodded. “A strong and mischievous one. Her magic and charms are sometimes tricky. And she loves making trouble.”

“Sounds like me in real life.” Piper laughed. “Guess that I don’t really need to try too hard to become her.” She looked at Jason. “Hey, tell me more about Jerome, please?”

“Actually I don’t know much about him.” Jason scratched the back of his head. “He is a hunter. And he is a friend of Lucas.”

“Lucas’ only friend now,” Percy corrected. “This poor child isn’t very social. Before he meets Jerome, he was always alone. Nico has some resemblance to Lucas, I swear. No one can play this unique character better than him.”

Nico chose this moment to reappear from the dressing room.

“I must look ridiculous.” He grumbled.

The other just stared at him. Jason opened his mouth and gasped.

Nico was wearing a Victorian style costume, with black and white are the main colors. It was decorated with a slim thread of silver and gold, brought out a noble aura. But the most dramatic change in his appearance was the long platinum hair that almost touched his waist.

“You look… breath-taking.” Percy blinked and still can’t take his eyes off Nico. “I know I made a good choice when I decided that Lucas should have long white hair! You rock that wig, Nico!”

“It’s itching.” Nico hissed. “And it’s too long. How could I fight with this ridiculous appearance?”

“You won’t need to fight with anyone until the sixth episode of the first season.” Percy chuckled. “And I haven’t written it down in details yet. Don’t worry.”

“You said that I can join you to develop Lucas’ personality and appearance.” Nico mumbled. “I’ll change something.”

“Think about it later.” Percy shrugged when Jason was called to change. “You still have at least five scenes to finish in today, Lucas.”

“Ugh. I hate you.” Nico glared at him. Piper just laughed.

“Your interactions are really good. I guess that you’re good friends for years, right? By the way, I’m Piper McLean, and I’ll play Camilla the witch. Nice to meet you, Nico.”

“Nice to meet you, Piper. And I’ve known Percy since I was six.” Nico admitted. “But I’m not sure about the “good friends” part. We barely like each other.”

“Hey! I like you so much! What are you doing with our bromance?” Percy pouted.

“Destroying it? But I don’t remember we have such bromance since the beginning.” Nico smirked then grimaced. “Ouch. I hate those fake fangs. I think they only need to appear in blood-sucking scenes.”

“Sounds reasonable. I’ll think about changing it a little bit.” Percy nodded.

Jason’s done with his transformation in appearance. His white and green clothes were simple and neat, very convenient to move with high speed. He has a shotgun in his hand and two pistols were attached to his black leather belt.

“You look dangerous but handsome at the same time.” Piper complimented. “I bet Jerome will have a lot of fans with just his look.”

“Thank you.” Jason smiled at her. “And Lucas too. Nico looks really beautiful in his image.”

The shorter boy just snorted at this comment.

“Hey, guys! It’s time to start!” A staff called them.

Both Nico and Jason took a deep breath and closed their eyes for some seconds. Jason was a little bit nervous but he tried to hide it. He looked at Nico admiringly when the younger boy reopened his eyes and both his manner and expression changed 180°. He wasn’t an ordinary 16-year-old boy anymore, but a confident and somewhat mysterious hundreds years old creature.

Jason secretly told himself that’s the talent of a genius.

…

The first three scenes were one with Lucas walking in the forest with somewhat surprising and confusing expressions on his face, one with Jerome running in the small path that led to his trap in a hurry, and one when Lucas found the trap with a small bear inside it.

The staffs borrowed a chow chow from a shelter to be the bear. Her fur had the color of chocolate, and she was very well-behaved. Jason liked her immediately. He had a weak spot for cute animals. And people, too. Nico was a great example. But the blond wasn’t willing to admit it.

The fact that a sweet pup and an adorable little vampire-elf in the same picture doubled the cuteness didn’t help at all.

“Am I really need to act angry?” Jason winced when it’s going to be his turn. “I mean, look at him with the dog. They’re way too endearing. That’s illegal. How can I stay mad at this sight?”

“You can’t. But Jerome has to.” Percy shrugged. “Come on man. Think that Lucas is a dangerous creature and this little chow chow is an ugly monster. Or anything that you dislike. You have to be ready for the work.”

“… You’re not very helpful.”

“I’m not an actor. I can only give you some advice. The choice is yours.”

“Alright. Thanks. Anyway, I’m ready.” Jason took a deep breath when the director assistant clapped the clipboard.

…

After all, their first day working together wasn’t so bad. And Jason really can’t wait for their meeting at a coffee shop tomorrow.

…

**_End chapter 3._ **


	4. First time they go out together.

##  **_Chapter 4: First time they go out together._ **

…

The next day, Percy decided that they should meet at 4 P.M at a coffee shop. He created a group chat and added the three others, then texted them the address.

 

 

> **_God_of_Script_Writer_** _:_ _Hey guys, tomorrow afternoon at 4. The address is 436B Rosemary Street. Find the block C. And look for a blue walls coffee shop named Oceania’s._
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: I wasn’t surprised with your username. Such a narcissistic person you are =.=_
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: You don’t say :D_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: Not you too, Will >”<_
> 
> **_Jason_Grace_ ** _: Hi guys. It’s Jason. Nice to chat with you. :)_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_** _: Thank Gods, Jason is the only normal one remains_.
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_** : _Thank, Neeks ;)_

Jason laughed when he saw the messages. _‘This group conversation will be really fun’_ , he thought to himself.

_Ting ~_

His phone made a sound for a new message.

 

 

> **_Nico_** : _Sorry if you have to endure those idiots._

Jason chuckled when he saw Nico’s message. This boy was way too polite sometimes.

 

 

> **_Jason_** : _Not at all. They’re quite funny. I’m not suffering anything._
> 
> **_Nico_ ** _: Good. Because I hate it if you think I’m the same with those two dorks. Ugh._
> 
> **_Jason_** : _No. You’re more adorable than them :D_

It’s the truth. Nico was one of the cutest boys Jason has ever met. He had a beautiful appearance, a great voice, a lot of acting talents, and lovable personality. It’s really a lucky pleasure to be his friend.

 

 

> **_Nico:_ ** _I’m not adorable >”< I’m a teenager boy. And I’m a two hundred years old creature in the TV series. I’m scary. Don’t you dare call me cute or adorable!_

Jason laughed so hard with Nico’s anger. But before he can reply, the group conversation had a notification for new messages.

 

 

> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: Here you are, Grace. Ah, I think now I can call you Jason, right?_
> 
> **_Jason_Grace_ ** _: You’re welcome. Just call me by my name. It’s more friendly._
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: Hey, actors. Sometimes I’ll call you by your character’s name. Deal with it. We can have another group chat to discuss characters’ developments._
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: This one is fine. Will won’t tell anyone our secrets._
> 
> **_Jason_Grace_ ** _: I agree with Nico :D_
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: Love you guys ❤_
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: I mean, in a totally platonic way, don’t get me wrong._

Jason came back to type a reply for Nico before reading his own reply in the group convo.

 

 

> **_Jason_** _:_ _I’ll think about some other nicknames for you :D_

Nico just answered him with an angry icon, but somehow Jason found it’s really cute. He chuckled while reading new messages from their group conversation.

 

 

> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: You sent a heart. Seriously, Will?_
> 
> **_Jason_Grace_** _:_ _I won’t think about anything else if you didn’t send those words._
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: o_O You mean you love me in a different way? Romantic or sexual? ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: =__= Why I am not surprised about this?_
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: No, I totally don’t love you in either way, Perce._
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: Don’t lie to yourself, Will ❤_
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: But for me, I’ll love myself first. I have the finest body in this group chat. Literally._
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: *sigh* Here we come the disaster…_
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: You can’t make love with yourself._
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: I can. That’s called masturbate. *wink*_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: We’re NOT talking about your relationship with your hands in this group chat, Percy._

Jason can’t help but laugh out loud. Nico was right. Those boys were really some dorks. But he was a dork himself too, and hey, who could be blamed for that? He made a cheeky grin while typing his reply.

 

 

> **_Jason_Grace_ ** _: I think everybody has a relationship with their hands in some stages of life LMAO._
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: Oh no o_O_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: Why did you encourage them, Grace?_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: I thought you’re a sane person *facepalm*_
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: Jason! You understand me so well, my new bro. (_ _★_ _^O^_ _★_ _) *hug* ❤_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: *rolling eyes* I don’t wanna talk with you guys anymore. For the rest of my life._
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: Too bad, Neeks. We’re glued together to the rest of our life already ;)_
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: Or joined at the hips, if you prefer that way ❤_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: Stop abusing the heart icon. That’s gross._
> 
> **_Solace_the_Sun_God_ ** _: (*_ _￣_ _з_ _￣_ _) @Jason: Bro!! Group hug, shall we?_
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤_
> 
> **_Jason_Grace_ ** _: *group hug*_
> 
> **_God_of_Script_Writer_ ** _: *group hug*_
> 
> **_Nico_di_Angelo_ ** _: Stay away from me._

…

They talked in the group chat for almost two hours before Nico said that he needed to get some stuff done. Jason yawned while turning his phone off, he suddenly realized how tired his eyes were after a long time glued to the blue screen.

He decided to take a nap before coming to the coffee shop.

**…**

**..**

**.**

_Oceania’s_ was a small but cozy coffee shop. It’s a little bit hard to find for the first time, but Jason still found it anyway. When he entered the coffee shop and ordered, he only saw Nico was sitting alone at a table near the window. He had a sunglasses at the top of his head, and he was wearing a surprisingly colorful T-shirt with Hawaiian patterns with white khaki jeans. Not his usual all-black style and Jason thought that was for camouflaging. Nico was a very famous actor, after all.

Jason walked to his direction and sat down at the opposite side of the table. “Hi. Nice to meet you again, Nico.”

“You’re on time,” Nico smiled at the blond genuinely before looking at the clock on his phone screen. “Those two idiots maybe late. Again. Ugh.”

“I take that isn’t the first time you guys go out together?” Jason let out a small laugh.

“Yeah. But it’s more like Percy and Will decide to hang out and they drag me into their plans,” Nico shrugged nonchalantly. “Sometimes I really don’t like some of their stupid ideas, but we usually have a good day so I’m not really complaining about that. Hey, it’s your drink.”

A waitress walked toward them with a cup of double espresso on her hand and a smile on her lips. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”

“Good to hear it,” Jason chuckled before he turned his head to the waitress and said thanks to her. Then he came back to the conversation with Nico. “May I ask you some more questions, Nico?”

“If you aren’t a reporter or paparazzi or one of my crazy stalkers, I’m sure that you can.” Nico blinked and took a sip of his matcha latte. His fingers were long and elegant, even a part of his body could easily pass the test of being a work of art.

Jason knew it wasn’t the right time to ask about the crazy stalkers part. “Do you feel a little bit awkward with me sitting here? You have known each other for a long time and I…” He slowly trailed off, but he thought Nico could get whatever he wanted to say.

“We will work together for months. Maybe years, if the TV series can attract a huge number of viewers and fans,” Nico looked straight at the blond, a friendly smile was dancing on his lips. “You’d better get used to it. We can be great friends, you know. You’re a good person.”

“Thanks,” Jason felt his ears reddened at Nico’s compliment. “So, what do you guys usually do on those dates? I mean, besides talking and stuff.”

“Uhm, nothing much?” Nico slightly tilted his head, and Jason found even a small action the other did was still really adorable. “We hang out together for entertainment purposes, you know. Nothing serious. We don’t talk about work or _not-for-making-jokes_ things. Sometimes it’s nice to be unproductive for a while.”

“Nico has a point,” Percy’s voice came with a laugh that made Jason startled a little bit in surprise. The smaller boy just gave their new companion an eyeroll. “Working too much isn’t good for anyone. We’re still teenagers, we should have a personal life too.”

Today the oldest boy of the group decided to wear a sky blue button-up shirt with wave pattern, a pair with a darker shade of blue jeans, and his grin was charming as usual.

“Which is something can be counted as a luxury for Neeks.” Will appeared in a simple plain light yellow polo shirt matched with his hair color and a pair of beige khaki pants. He had a wide smile on his lips when he sat down next to Nico and reached one hand to ruffle the other’s hair.

“Hey, stop that! I’m not a cat, and your petting technique is terrible.” Nico glared at the tanned blond and smacked his hand away, though it wasn’t too hard. Jason guessed it wasn’t the first time their interaction went like this.

“You know, the way you bristle up about not touching your hair is really similar to a cat.” Percy grinned and Jason secretly agreed with the black-haired boy.

Nico made a face at both of them and tried again to slap Will’s hand away. He succeeded this time with a half-hearted glare. Will stuck out his tongue and in one second Jason thought the other blond was quite funny in a childish way.

A waitress came to their table and put down Percy and Will’s orders with a wide smile on her face. Jason was sure she’s blushing, but he decided not to point it out. Even if she didn’t recognize any of them, he still admitted that all of them were really good-looking. It’s normal for a girl to blush when she was looking at four gorgeous boys like this.

Not that Jason was too confident about his appearance. That’s just the plain truth, after all.

Nico, Percy and Will talked for a while, mostly to catch up some information about the other’s summer. Percy was quite satisfied with his time spending with Will and _“doing just unimportant, self-indulgent and extremely immature stuff”_ – it was just the way Nico phrased the summary for their plans. Jason just silently listened to them, not sure what should he say or when should he speak up. But gladly, Nico didn’t forget that he was still sitting there.

“And Jason, how was your summer?” The youngest boy asked and gave the blond a small smile. Jason blinked and thought for some seconds before clearing his throat.

“Nothing special, as far as I remembered. I just took two extra classes so I can have more time to practice acting and working when the main semesters come into the picture. I traveled two times, but for work only. I didn’t have much time to enjoy a real summer, but I guess it’s not that important. I’ve grown up anyway, I don’t need a beach and a vacation to make myself happy.”

“Man, that means you had a normal summer,” Will laughed genuinely, his eyes were sparkling with amusement. “To be honest, I envy you. I haven’t had a summer like this since I was ten. Those memories are really nice, you can spend time with your friends and family like this.”

“Hey, you don’t count me as your friend?!” Percy protested and playfully shoved the blond’s shoulder. Nico hummed quietly at their action and Jason just laughed.

“You’re just a replacement for Nico.” Will winked, and Percy put his hands over his chest in a fake attempt of being hurt.

“You have such a cruel heart! How could you make aesthetic movies when you have no sympathy for other people like that?!”

“Those two things aren’t related, you dumb.” Will rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, I feel I’m the most mature person among us.” Nico turned his head to Jason and sighed. The blond shrugged when the other two continued to bicker with each other. Nico looked like he was more than ready to bang his head on the table.

“Guys, could I ask some questions about the TV series?” Jason decided to end their argument after ten minutes and Nico seemed to have enough pain for a headache.

“Sure, shoot.” Percy grinned at him. “Don’t worry about privacy laws though. We’re safe here since this coffee shop is opened for celebs only.”

That could explain why this beautiful coffee shop had just a few customers on a lovely day like this.

“I don’t really know all the process of making a movies or TV series, but shouldn’t we have a complete script before we start to find directors, actors, actresses and other staffs?” Jason questioned. “But you’re still writing scripts while we’re practicing and filming simultaneously. I don’t understand that part.”

“Oh, I admit that might be confusing,” Will laughed. “I could give you some explanation. Have you noticed that the big audition was a secret one?”

“Uhm… no?” Jason blinked. “I received an invitation, and my manager told me to sign a small agreement… Oh.” Realization dawned on his face when he suddenly remembered about the agreement’s content.

“Yeah, we must keep every information which relates to the audition and the TV series as secrets until the first press release. It was written in that contract.” Percy nodded at him.

“That could explain a lot,” Jason started to feel some puzzles could make sense now to him. “So what happened with those ones who received the invitation but didn’t get chosen?”

“They have to keep secrets too,” Will shrugged. “And they’d better know how to keep their mouths shut because our production companies don’t have a very good reputation in treating those people who reveal their secrets.”

…

An hour later, Jason learned a lot about their production companies, their directors and other co-workers with Percy, especially a woman that the script-writer begrudgingly called her “the bitch”, because she criticized his work a lot, with not-so-lovely words and even insults.

“Man, at least you don’t have any other connection with her except work. For me things are worse, because my own father could be an ass sometimes,” Will complained after Percy finished his essay about “the bitch”. “He is a critic, okay, I could be fine with this. But whenever he starts to talk about how could I improve my work…”

Will took them another half of an hour just to talk about Apollo, and after today, Jason was sure he knew about this famous director more than he ever wanted.

…

**_End chapter 4._ **


	5. Changing Lucas’ appearance.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Reyna, people!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to read the last part of the previous chapter that I updated two or three days ago.

##  _**Chapter 5: Changing Lucas’ appearance.** _

…

After two weeks, Nico decided to dye his hair platinum temporarily after Lucas was given a haircut in the script. He said that he can’t stand those wigs anymore because they’re itching and uncomfortable. But he needed to keep his appearance as Lucas a secret until the first episode of **_Dreams_** _(they changed the project name into a shorter and more cryptic name)_ could be released, so he ended up with wearing a big hoodie and occasionally bonus a beanie hat every time he went out.

“Seriously, your hair is really stand out. Do you think it’s more inconvenient with that platinum hair than wearing wigs?” Will told Nico when they’re inside a coffee shop, and Nico refused to take off his hoodie. Coincidentally, his hoodie was matched with the one Will was wearing today, so they looked really like a couple. Nico wasn’t very excited about this when Percy pointed it out. Jason just chuckled at how funny and adorable they were when they’re glaring at each other like that.

“No, I don’t,” Nico hissed irritatingly when he broke the intense eye-contact with Will. “And I know it’s too eye-catching. That’s why I suggested having a movie-marathon inside.”

“He looks breathtaking with his new hair color,” Percy grinned with amusement, then the next second his smile slowly disappeared when he frowned. “I’m considering about changing Lucas’ eye colors, too. Vampires usually have red eyes, or golden, purple ones. Extraordinary colors. I’m still struggling with decisions.”

“How about heterochromia? One person can have different eye colors if they have complete heterochromia.” Jason suggested then took a sip of his coffee. Today he chose a black one because he was seriously in need of a strong dose of caffeine. Last night he stayed up late to watch the latest episode of his favourite series, so he didn’t have a very good sleep.

“You’re a bloody genius!” The script-writer clapped his hands together, a joyful light was sparkling in his eyes. “I can’t choose between red and violet, or green and blue. Now I can have both!”

Nico glared at Percy, his intense gaze made it clear that he didn’t appreciate the new idea at all. Jason found his anger was quite adorable in a threatening way. To be honest, the blond thought whatever Nico did was adorable as hell. Maybe today he had too much caffeine for his own good already.

“And you can have his eyes changing colors when he’s drinking blood,” Will smirked mischievously. “More choices for you. And Nico will be really fascinating in those colorful lenses.”

“Definitely!” The green-eyed boy cheerfully exclaimed. Then he exchanged high-fives with Jason and Will, both seemed satisfied with their new suggestions.

“I. Hate. All. Of. You.” The youngest boy glared at each of them angrily. “As the ridiculous outfits are not enough to torture me.”

He was talking about the silky Victorian clothes that they made him wear during the filming process. The timeline of this TV series was about Middle Ages, Renaissance or Victorian Era, even though it wasn’t strictly in historical accuracy. The costume staffs created a lot of new details on their clothes after all. Jason was so sure that no hunter in this Age could possess a modern gun like him, not to mention Jerome actually had a storage of guns and grenades for God’s sake.

“Don’t worry. You look great in those outfits.” Jason commented truthfully.

“Hand me the cake menu, please.” Percy gestured toward the stack of menus at Nico’s spot.

“They’re way too girly,” Nico rolled his eyes when giving the script writer the menu he wanted. “Lucas is supposed to be a strong character, not a walking mannequin.”

“The development of his character is quite interesting,” Percy shrugged while his eyes were scanning the menu to choose a dessert. “At the beginning, he doesn’t know he is a vampire-elf. He doesn’t have much desire for blood, and he isn’t scared of sunlight, garlic or silver objects. He just only knows that he isn’t human.”

He chose a red velvet cake after hesitating between it and a matcha tiramisu one. Will took the menu from Percy’s hand and decided to have a slice of carrot cake. Jason just shook his head when the other blond wordlessly handed him the menu to choose something.

“He lives for at least two hundred years. Of course, he will know he isn’t human. It’s not a new information.” Will shrugged and said with a matter-of-factly tone.

“Can I have one more slice of cheesecake too?” Percy told a waitress nearby and smiled at her when he listed their other choices. Will just grinned and slightly shook his head when she quickly nodded, her cheeks turned pink before she walked away.

“I haven’t done talking yet,” The script-writer came back to their conversation and gave Will a quick glance. “Lucas is a lonely child. Yeah, a child. Both vampires and elves can live for thousands of years. Compare to that lifespan, he is still a child. He doesn’t even have control all over his powers. He lives in an old castle alone, with only some servants but none of them lets him know anything about the outside world. So one day, he decides to run away from his home. He doesn’t have the vaguest idea about the normal life, mind you. That’s the reason why he ends up meeting Jerome inside a bear trap.”

“I doubt that we could describe their relationship as a friendship,” Jason laughed genuinely, he started to feel his coffee was really bitter. “As I can tell by reading the scripts that you gave me Percy, it feels more like Jerome sees Lucas as an interesting pet that he accidentally picked up and decided to let him tag along on his journey.”

“You’ve got my main idea,” The script-writer laughed. “Yeah, at least for the first season, Jerome takes care of Lucas as something he owns and thinks it’s fun to have it than a real friend. Lucas is strong and dangerous, I’m sure about this. But sometimes his mind is as childish and naïve as a kid.”

“I have bad feelings about how you’ll write him,” Nico hissed when he eyed Will’s slice of carrot cake that a waitress just brought for him. “And I won’t let you destroy my Lucas. He is my character, after all.”

“Sure, sure.” Percy raised both of his arms over his head. “I don’t want to piss you off, you know. When you’re livid, you are quite… terrifying.”

While Will just grinned and ate his cake, the other blond wondered how could someone look like a harmless kitten as Nico could whose anger that can make even Percy be scared of.

“It’s good to know you still have some active brain cells.” Nico chuckled mockingly.

Jason can’t help but laugh so hard. Nico could have the appearance of a sweet, charming little angel and all, but he can be a sarcastic badass sometimes. Will almost choked on his cake because of laughing.

“Why are all of you so mean to me?” Percy asked in a mocked tone of hurt. Will rolled his eyes theatrically.

“For God’s sake, Percy, let me eat in peace.”

“Jason, you love me, right buddy?”

“Sorry, I don’t know you.” Jason blinked at the script-writer and earned two high-fives from both Nico and Will.

“I thought you’re my newest bromance partner?” Percy winced when he finished the last bite of his cheesecake.

“First time hear about that.” Jason shrugged and Nico laughed at Percy’s hurtful face. Will stopped eating because he was laughing so hard that he was afraid of choking on his own cake again.

**…**

**..**

**.**

The next week they spent their time to practice some new scenes from the latest edition of their scripts. “The bitch” demanded Percy change something in his draft and because she was a famous script-writer after all so he had no choice but following her command. But Percy wasn’t an idiot, so he just wrote some outlines for her ideas and he told the actors and actresses the real parts of his own scripts and they just needed to remember and improvise when they’re acting if they need to do so.

…

“Wow, that’s a hard scene and full of actions. You think an actress could do that without cascadeurs?” Jason asked Percy when he was reading a part of his script. Jerome meets one of those mysterious female warriors and they have a very intense fight. He doubted even Piper couldn’t do that, even though she was really strong and swift.

“Oh don’t worry, I know a special one can do all of those things,” Percy grinned mischievously. “She should be here yesterday, but she decided to visit Nico first so all of us need to wait.”

“Nico knows her?” Jason wasn’t really surprised. Nico was a famous actor, it’s not a mystery that he had a lot of friends in this industry.

“Oh, she adores him, and that’s still putting it mildly,” Percy laughed, his eyes glinted with amusement. “Her real name is quite long and hard to pronounce, so we just call her Reyna. She is like… Nico’s surrogate sister, if we don’t have any other words to describe their close relationship. Ah, here they are.” Percy waved his hand at two people just appeared at the door.

“Oh, I get it.” Jason nodded at him and looked at their new companion. Reyna was a tall girl with strong yet still feminine features. She had piercing black eyes that were as cold as ice, lustrous black hair braided in a glossy style, and a beautifully defined jawline. When she and Nico stepped in their direction, Jason could practically feel the confidence was pervaded by her like natural perfume.

“Hi, you must be Jason,” She smiled at him and offered a hand. “I’m Reyna. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Jason Grace,” He took her hand and wow, this girl had such a firm grip. They shared a good and quick handshake before she released his hand. “Nice to meet you, Reyna.”

She blinked once, and her eyes changed into an icy state. She glared at him and Jason was sure she was a very intimidating person that he should never mess with her or piss her off. He knew he hadn’t done anything wrong to her now so he just stared back. After three seconds, she blinked again and broke their eye-contact, humming quietly. “A nice man.”

He didn’t know should he say thank her or not.

“I’ll play the character named Primrose Huddleston, a female warrior,” She introduced. “Actually I didn’t have any intention of taking part in this series, but Percy almost begged me and Nico asked me nicely so I agreed to do that. It’s a great experience to work with you guys.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Jason nodded at her and smiled. “Percy told me a lot about you. He said that you’re a special actress that doesn’t need cascadeurs for action scenes.”

Percy and Nico just left for some script discussion, so Jason decided to lead Reyna around the filming studio.

“That’s true,” She laughed while watching a crew of staffs was preparing some cameras. “I have taken martial art and self-defense classes since I was eight. Years of practice give me a lot of advantages.”

Jason made a mental note to never piss her off. “May I ask why did you and Nico know each other?”

“It’s a long story, involving a sand castle, a stupid Percy and a beach,” Reyna chuckled lightly. “I’ll tell you the full version when we have time. We’re going to start our work the next moment so I guess it’s not the good time to tell that story.”

“Sure, I agree,” Jason nodded at her when Will approached them with a wide smile on his face. “You know Will, right?”

“Never forget that idiot’s face since that incident when he made a whole box of chocolate ice-cream drop on my clothes,” Reyna snorted. “Nice to see you, Will.”

“You never forget that story,” The curly blond winced before switching to his professional director mode. “Do you guys need to do some warm-up before we start filming? Nico and Percy are having a heated debate right now and I’m not going to take any of their shit so I guess I’ll work with you guys first.”

“Sure, give me ten minutes,” Reyna shrugged and looked around to choose a spot. “That corner looks good. I need to do some stretches. Are you in, Jason?”

“I’m in.” Jason simply replied her and followed her to the spot. They did some warm-up while Will was reading something in his note, his eyebrows almost touched each other in an intense frown. Jason thought that even he didn’t take any of the others’ shit, he already had enough on his own.

…

Damn, that actress Reyna was stronger than any girl Jason has ever met. He lost five times in a row when he played arm-wrestling with her, and the smug smile on Percy’s face really made him want to grab his hair and bang his head on a table or a wall.

“She has absolutely no difficulty when it comes to action scenes,” Percy told him with a wide grin. “She will _gracefully_ kick your ass.”

No, Jason just changed his mind. Drowning Percy seemed better.

“That’s why nobody has ever invited me to a fairytale makeover,” Reyna calmly said. “In a damsel in distress stereotype, I will escape all by myself and kill the witch or the dragon by my own hands and then I could rescue another princess or even a prince.”

“I’m glad this TV series isn’t a makeover then,” Will smiled genuinely. “It’s new and it has a lot of surprises. We’ll make all the viewers get tons of shock.”

“That doesn’t sound good for someone with a heart disease.” Nico frowned. His platinum hair was very eye-catching, Jason must admit that. He really wanted to run his fingers through those almost white curls.

“Our action scenes are pretty detailed and brutal so I guess that’s not a problem since the rating of this TV series is PG-15 already,” Percy shrugged nonchalantly, then his expression changed into a more serious one when he continued. “Talk about that, what do you think about David’s suggestion?”

“What suggestion?” Reyna questioned when she noticed both Will and Jason grimaced at Percy’s reminder.

“He asked me at the celebration party that if I agree with some half-nude scenes or not,” Nico sighed. “I haven’t replied him yet, but I think my answer is no.”

“David Coleman? That bastard?” Reyna frowned. “I really, really want to beat his sorry ass up one day. I can’t stand him.”

“No sane person can stand him then,” Will rolled his eyes. “But I think we have done talking. The next scene is in ten minutes. Prepare, Reyna, Jason.”

***

When they finished their work for today, it’s quite late – it was 8 P.M and all of them was starving. Piper joined them from 3 P.M for some minor scenes and they’re standing in front of the studio’s gate and talking about we should they go to eat dinner.

“I could die for a plate of pasta and a beef-steak,” Percy complained and they can hear his stomach was grumbling. “Where is the nearest restaurant?”

“0.8 miles to the North,” Reyna checked the map on her phone. “We could call a cab.”

“I prefer sleeping.” Nico yawned tiredly. Today he didn’t participate much in filming, but he had a photoshoot instead and he needed to attend another press conference for a sit-com comedy that he was invited in an episode. The poor boy moved across the city today and it’s easy to understand that he’s exhausted.

“Eat something before you sleep, Nico.” Reyna’s hand was drawing some soothing circles at the platinum-haired boy’s back. She had that motherly expression on her face and Jason almost cannot believe that’s the same strong, intimidating girl that won every time they wrestled with their arms today.

“Hmm.” Nico mumbled drowsily and when the taxi came, he nodded off when they’re moving. Reyna let him place his head on her left shoulder and Piper giggled quietly.

“Is it legal for me to take some pictures?” She asked and held out her phone. “I won’t post them on the internet, I promise. His sleeping face is so angelic, I want to keep that moment.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Reyna shrugged slightly, tried to not wake Nico up when Piper took some pictures of him with her phone. She sent that to all of them afterward in their big group chat _(Percy made another group chat and added both Piper and Reyna today)_.

They arrived at the restaurant when it was almost 9 P.M and it took six signatures from each of them for the owner to let them in because it’s their closing time already. Reyna chose some fried chicken drumsticks and a dish of French fries for Nico before she called a bowl of soup for herself. Everybody was too starving to be picky so they chose the first thing came into their minds when they looked at the menu. The food wasn’t too bad and the free drink was nice so they didn’t complain anything.

When they finished their late meal, it’s around 10:30 P.M. and everybody agreed to rent a big room at a hotel instead of coming home individually. It’s too late and they’ll have to work together tomorrow so it’s more convenient this way. They’re all used to traveling so they had personal stuff with them already.

It’s 11 P.M when all of them was ready to go to bed. They told each other goodnight before silently drifted off. It was a long day.

…

**_End chapter 5._ **


	6. How to decipher those characters’ moral codes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or the chapter in which everyone questions how Percy’s mind works and why the hell he’s a genius script-writer anyway.

##  _**Chapter 6: How to decipher those characters’ moral codes?** _

 

…

“Dude, I understand that hunters and warriors’ moral codes in a fantasy world might be different from a mere human in a normal world like us, but why does Primrose demand Jerome to bring her a witch after she beats him up that brutally?” Jason complained when their group of six was sitting inside a coffee shop. They finished their filming today early and decided to hang out together.

Piper laughed so hard at his complain that she nearly choked on her red velvet cake. Nico just snorted, today he was wearing a big white hoodie with tiny black skull patterns and a woolen knitted white beanie. He looked so small and fragile but so angelic in those clothes that Will found it hard to not stare at him.

“Because she is a kickass character and she could do whatever she wants?” Percy blinked and then he winked at Reyna. The actress rolled her eyes at him and took a sip from her matcha macchiato. Her lustrous black hair was pulled up into a bun today, she was wearing a blue button-up shirt with white khaki jeans and blue sneakers. She looked totally sporty and athletic and she was an opposite image with a girly Piper in a yellow sundress, some feathers were braided into her hazelnut hair and her glossy pink lipstick was really eye-catching. Will cannot count how many people just stopped at their table to look at her twice, or maybe to not-so-subtle check all of them out.

“That’s not an explanation, Percy.” Jason groaned and begrudgingly butchered his slice of carrot cake. Percy laughed at it, his smile made his already too white T-shirt even brighter. Even Will wasn’t a fan of tight jeans, he must admit that those jeans looked good on Percy as they did with Nico. They could pass the requirements to be models for some clothes brands.

“What does she want to do with my Camilla then?” Piper chimed in, her fork was pointing at Reyna and pure curiosity glinted in her eyes. “I have a feeling that Jerome will ask Camilla to help him since he is too kind to actually trap someone into a prank to bring them to Primrose.”

“Jerome is a gentleman and your feeling is true, Piper,” Percy grinned at her, his eyes were sparkling with mischievousness. “In my most interesting idea, Primrose wants Camilla to help her banish some criminals from her land. They just escaped the jail and they threaten to kill their neighbour kingdoms’ people. They couldn’t take revenge directly at her and her people because they’re warriors, but their neighbours aren’t. And one of those criminals has some trick under her sleeves, it’s magic. Amazon warriors don’t know magic so they can’t deal with it. A witch could be a great help then.”

Nico didn’t comment anything, he just eyed his tiramisu cake suspiciously like a cat trying a new flavour of food. Jason looked puzzled like he was having a hard time to digest all the information Percy just told them or he was actually having trouble digesting his own slice of carrot cake. Will thought those orange cakes were delicious, but actually, not many people agreed with him.

“A mischievous witch like Camilla won’t do anything without getting something in return.” Piper shrugged and continued to eat her cake. Will glared at his plate as if was the most interesting thing in this world because he was getting lost in their conversation and he wasn’t an actor so he had absolutely nothing to say.

“I haven’t made a decision about it yet,” Percy admitted and looked around the table. “Any suggestion?”

“Gold?” Will shrugged because gold was always a safe bet for any kind of reward. The script-writer slightly shook his head.

“Too simple then. And Camilla is a witch, she can make gold by her magic, she doesn’t really need those shiny things.”

“A piece of land?” Reyna thought for a while. “Witches usually don’t have a proper home. Maybe Primrose can give Camilla a place for her to make her own house.”

“It sounds good, except the part that Camilla is a free witch and she travels a lot,” Percy frowned and shook his head. “She wouldn’t want to be stuck at one place. Giving her a piece of land could be taken as an insult. It’s quite dangerous.”

“No land then,” Jason noted. “Does she want some kind of magical stuff?”

“Those warriors don’t know anything about magic. Where can they get magical stuff for her?” Will asked and Jason sighed in defeat.

“She could teach Primrose and her people some magic,” Nico hesitated a little bit before continued. “I know it sounds like she isn’t getting anything, but actually being a teacher and getting respect isn’t a thing that witches are familiar with. She might enjoy the idea that people actually need her instead of wanting her to die or killing her.”

Five others looked at him with wide eyes and Nico’s cheeks flustered red. “My idea is bad, isn’t it? Forget it already.”

“No, it isn’t! It’s brilliant, Nico!” Percy exclaimed, his grin was too bright that it made Will subconsciously want to cover his own eyes. “How on Earth could you think about that? This thought never crossed my mind before!”

“Uhm… I just think of this?” Nico sounded not so certain, but nobody pointed it out.

“Dude, sometimes I envy with your brain,” Percy pouted. “Why can you possess both appearance and intelligence? It’s so unfair.”

“Percy, people called you the genius script-writer, in case you haven’t noticed.” Will rolled his eyes. Reyna just snorted at that and mumbled something inaudible. Piper playfully shoved her shoulder and laughed, the sound she made was like a melody.

“It’s because I let my imagination run wild,” Percy shrugged nonchalantly. “But I’m not that good when it comes to logical thinking. That’s why my academic results aren’t always as good as Nico. Well, to be honest, his marks are excellent, even though he never has enough time to study.”

“I try hard to achieve this. I don’t want people to look at me and think I just have a nice appearance but nothing in my brain,” Nico sighed. “And actually I don’t really like my face or my body that much. They make me look like some kinds of walking mannequins and people who don’t know me still think that they can take advantages of me easily because I look naïve and gullible.”

“But you do look like this,” Piper laughed. “And don’t worry, people like your appearance, but your friends like your personality and your family loves you no matter what. And we all know nobody is perfect so you don’t next to overwork yourself to meet other people’ expectation.”

“Thank you, Piper.” Nico smiled genuinely at her and Piper just winked. She’s nice, even though sometimes she’s quite cheeky, but overall she’s a good person to be with. In some other worlds, Will thought he could easily fall in love with a person like her.

***

“Guys, how exactly this could happen again?” Will pinched the bridge of his nose and snapped a stack of papers down to the table. “My dad said he still doesn’t understand and I don’t get it.”

They’re at the studio and it’s break time. Reyna and Piper went out for some coffee and Nico was arguing with a stylist about the damn wig again. They wanted him to put at least one of them on because they liked the long hair version better, but Nico stubbornly refused.

“Which parts are that hard for you to digest then?” Percy carefully picked up a paper with tons of red marks and winced. “All of them?”

“No, that’s my dad’s work,” Will rolled his eyes. “He demanded to know the reasons why those characters don’t act like normal human beings.”

“Dude, in case your dad hasn’t noticed, none of them is a normal human being, especially Lucas and Camilla.” Jason pointed out the obvious reason that all of them agreed with since the first day they talked about their characters.

“I explained, but he simply refused to understand in that way,” Will looked like he was more than ready to pluck out his golden curls when he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. “And the part that I don’t get is why doesn’t he understand? It’s pretty simple once you got the basic idea.”

“I’m sorry Will, but explaining all the hidden meaning in my scripts to some thick heads isn’t in my job description,” Percy shrugged and put the paper back. “And I don’t really want to insult your dad so I’m sorry in advance for that.”

“Don’t worry, he deserves some insults, even though he’ll never listen to just one of them,” Will grimaced. “My dad is a narcissist after all. I’m trying so hard to grow up into a man **_not_** like him.”

“I see, that’s a wordy way to say you have daddy issues,” Percy winked. “Anything else?”

“I don’t have daddy issues.” Will frowned at the script-writer. “You really won’t explain a thing for my father? No worry at all about things he might say about your scripts?”

“No. Let the audience decide my ideas are good or not. I don’t believe in just one person’s opinion, it doesn’t matter he’s a famous critic or not.”

“Fine, fit your way,” Will shrugged then sighed. “But I’m going to have an earful from him. Wish me luck then.”

“Okay, good luck.”

Will nodded as a reply before going away.

…

**_End of chapter 6._ **


End file.
